My squad is one to be excited about!

GARETH SOUTHGATE believes this is an England squad to be “excited about” after plumping for promise rather than experience with a bold World Cup selection.

Uncapped Trent AlexanderArnold was celebrating a maiden senior call-up yesterday afternoon as experienced Adam Lallana, Joe Hart and Jack Wilshere reeled from the disappointment of missing out.

After months of speculation, scrutiny and conjecture, the 23 men charged with bringing the country success in Russia were revealed by the Football Association along with the five-strong stand-by list for the tournament.

England’s joint capped goalkeeper excluded from both lists as were Arsenal midfielder Wilshere and Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand - but Lallana provided the biggest shock.

The attacking midfielder is a favourite of Southgate yet managing just one Premier League start in an injury-disrupted season means the 30-year-old had to settle with a stand-by place alongside Jake Livermore, Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski and Lewis Cook.

Press Association Sport understands Lallana has met the news with maturity and positivity - plus Liverpool’s Champions League final preparations will give him the chance to build fitness that could yet see him called upon.

While Lallana is the most notable omission, uncapped Reds teammate Alexander-Arnold is the most striking inclusion.

An impressive performer in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final, the 19-year-old briefly trained with Southgate’s side in March and has now been named in the senior squad for the first time.

“I believe this is a squad which we can be excited about,” England manager Southgate said.

“It is a young group, but with some really important senior players so I feel the balance of the squad is good, both in terms of its experience, its character and also the positional balance.

“We have a lot of energy and athleticism in the team, but players that are equally comfortable in possession of the ball and I think people can see the style of play we’ve been looking to develop.

“The selection process has been over months really, it’s not just been the last few weeks. We feel the team are improving and we want to continue that momentum.

“The first call up for Trent Alexander-Arnold is well deserved. When we pick young players, it’s not just because they are young, it’s because their performances deserve it.

“We’ve also had a couple of injuries with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez, which is a huge blow for them personally and disappointing for us.”

Southgate has made 12 changes to the Euro 2016 squad.

Butland (Stoke) Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley); Jones (Man Utd), Cahill (Chelsea), Walker (Man City), Trippier (Tottenham), Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Rose (Tottenham), Young (Man Utd), Stones (Man City), Maguire (Leicester); Dier (Tottenham), Henderson (Liverpool), Delph (Man City), Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) Lingard (Man Utd), Alli (Tottenham); Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Man Utd), Vardy(Leicester), Sterling (Man City), Welbeck (Arsenal) ENGLAND will go into this summer’s World Cup with one of their youngest ever major tournament squads - and with an eye-catching lack of experience in goal.

Gareth Southgate’s 23-man group was announced yesterday, with an average age of 26 years and 18 days making it the third-youngest squad to represent England at a World Cup.

The situation is particularly noticeable when it comes to England’s last line of defence, where Joe Hart’s omission leaves 25-year-old Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, 24, and uncapped 26-year-old Nick Pope who have made only nine international appearances between them.

There are warm-up games against Nigeria and Costa Rica for the trio to add to that tally, but their current total does not even match the average caps among England’s trio of keepers at any other tournament this century.

Even at Euro 2004, when the goalkeepers averaged 11 caps and first-choice David James had just 24 to his name, back-ups Paul Robinson and Ian Walker went into the tournament with nine caps between them. Hart had 22 caps and Town’s Rob Green 12 going into Euro 2012, with Butland then uncapped.

In the World Cups of 2002 and 2010 England’s starting keeper had at least a halfcentury of caps, while Hart had 41 going into the 2014 tournament and James had 34 to Robinson’s 21 in 2006. The European Championships of 2000 and 2016 saw David Seaman and Hart respectively in the 50s.

The surprise selection of Liverpool’s 19-year-old fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, helped bring down the average age of this year’s party - only in 2006 and 1958 have England gone into a World Cup with a younger squad.

Marcus Rashford’s established presence in the squad belies the fact he will not turn 21 until next season while Dele Alli and Ruben LoftusCheek are just 22, Raheem Sterling is 23 and Eric Dier, John Stones and Jordan Pickford are 24.

The 1958 squad had an average age of 25 years and 81 days, with half of the 22 players aged 23 or younger.